It's Not Always Black and White
by N. Aepic Fael
Summary: Hunter J isn't known for her benevolence. In fact, she's basically a sociopath. But, in every person, there lies a shred of morality. And that morality was exposed once she witnessed Ash being ostracized by his own home. AU, slightly darker universe. Pairing undetermined.
1. Chapter 1

**For this story, J will be eight years older than Ash and trainers leave at age 13. That should be enough.**

 **Also, character bashing galore. It's a dark fic, after all.**

"Mistress, we are near the town."

"Excellent. Prepare plans for the extraction."

J stretched her arms above her head, gaining winces from those that heard the cracks that were emitted.

Perhaps she should relax in this quaint little town.

Pallet Town. Known residence of the world famous Professor Oak.

And her target.

In, retrospect, the woman felt that she was going soft. After all, robbing the old coot of baby pokemon?

She might as well retire in shame.

She was about to join her men in the raid when she saw a boy running away from his home, followed by several thrown bottles flying at him.

 _'Abuse,'_ she mused. _'Not a pretty thing, but what can be done?'_

She narrowed her eyes.

 _'The real question is, why do all these people see this, and not do anything to help?'_

 **[Boss, we are in position. Any further instructions?]**

"Change of plans, boys. Try to make this a stealth raid. After the extraction, I'll be doing a solo recon on the area, so leave without me. I'll tell you when and where to rendezvous when the time comes."

 **[Roger that. See you later, boss.]**

J donned her casual wear, which involved a black t-shirt, black slacks, a wrist watch that also doubled as her cannon in disguise (although it had a limited amount of uses and was far less efficient), and black boots. Noting the rather chilly weather, which was in tandem with their raid (as most non-ice pokemon tended to be more lethargic in the winter), she also donned a black trench coat for good measure.

Curiously following the boy, she was astonished to find that he was being beaten by his peers when he tried to seek refuge with them.

 _'Well, well, if it isn't Jane. You know what time it is ... time for your beating '_

Her fists unconsciously clenched as the scene brought out memories of her abuse. Sympathizing with the boy, she decided to intervene.

As she walked up to the group, her fury slowly rose as she heard their words.

"... yeah, that's right, you little freak! Your mom's always causing so much damn noise, and we can't sleep. Not to mention, your so damn weird! How does it feel now? Think you're so special? You're useless! A waste of this world! Hell, I bet that no one would miss you if you suddenly disappeared," jeered one of the boys.

"Enough."

When the word was uttered, the group froze at the dark tone. As they slowly turned their heads at the speaker, their blood froze as they saw the death glare being emitted by J.

"Get out of here, brats," she snarled. "Or I swear to Arceus, I will sic my Salamence on you. And trust me, he hates everyone ... but me."

The group beat a hasty retreat before J looked at the boy. Numerous cuts ordained him, and the scars were not pretty.

She bent down to his level. "Hey, kid, you alright?"

The boy slowly raised his head. "Y-Yeah. Who ... are you?"

"Just call me Jane for now. You need any help?"

Ash shook his head. "N-No, I'll ... I'll be alright." With that, he did something that shocked J.

His eyes lighted a pale blue and he placed his hand on his wounds. Slowly, teh cuts resealed themselves, and he was left with only some faint scars.

"It's alright to be weirded out ... I'm a freak, aren't I?" the boy muttered sadly.

J blanched. Here before her was an Aura user, and at such a young age at that.

"Kid, do you know just what the hell you just used?"

"N-No. A few years ago, I suddenly found out that I could use this when I clutched my injuries one day."

"Oh for the love of ... kid, you can use friggin' Aura. Do you know how amazing that is?"

The boy looked at her in amazement. "What is that?"

"It's this really rare thing ... um ... basically, you can use this thing called Aura. I can't really explain it since I can't use it, but I'm more than willing to give you a few books on it."

She caught her statement. Charity? Had she suddenly gone soft?

"Thank you!" the boy beamed before giving her a large hug, which she uneasily returned.

"... By the way, kid, what's your name?"

"Hmm? Oh, my name is Ash Ketchum!"

"What's the deal with your mother, anyways?"

"She ... went crazy after daddy disappeared. I love mom, but ... she hurts me really bad. She constantly drinks beer and she throws the bottles at me. Even if I fix the injuries, it still makes me really tired ... and the pain is still there."

J frowned. Clearly, not only did Ash suffer from bullying, he also suffered abuse.

She thought about what to do before making up her mind.

"Ash, I'll be leaving soon. You want to be a pokemon trainer, though, correct?" Seeing him nod, she continued,

"I'll try to visit you frequently if possible, but if I can't, I'll give you a list of things you must do, alright? This is all to help prepare you for your journey."

Seeing his wide eyes and his rapid nodding, she suppressed a chuckle. Soon, she left and called for her ship with a slight smile on her face.

She wished she could be as innocent as he was.

* * *

Three years passed by in a blur. Although he was still abused both by his peers and his mother, he now had a 'sister' who looked after him.

J insisted on him learning as much as possible about pokemon before embarking on his journey, showing an uncharacteristic amount of concern for the boy. Luckily, what Ash lacked in social charisma he more than made up in his adaptability and knowledge. Within the first three months, fueled by a desire to make J proud of him, he succeeded in learning as much as he could from the books she lent him.

As for Aura, she scrounged whatever keepsakes she had that mentioned it and gave them to Ash. Although it wasn't much, it did teach him how to communicate with pokemon.

Meanwhile, she made it clear that he was, under no circumstances, to leave without any knowledge of self-defense. She taught him how to do basic hand-to-hand combat as well as how to hold his ground against a person up to 3 times his weight. Although this was slightly underwhelmed by the sheer fact that he was still pre-pubescent, upon a further analysis it was actually more than enough to protect him from others that would hurt him. Perhaps it wouldn't work against a Machamp, but against a criminal, it was ideal.

"Well, Ash, now that today is your birthday, I suppose that you'll be going to the professor to get started?"

"Yeah. Although, I'm not counting on a pokemon, since he hates me like almost everyone else here. He's probably gonna give all the starters to other trainers and give me some run-of-the-mill pokemon he recently caught for me. Jerk."

J frowned before smirking. "You know, since it's your birthday, I might leave you a 'special present' ... one that will make all those noobs that got the starters look at you in envy."

"Really?!"

"Hell yeah-" she got out before she was almost choked in a huge hug.

"Thanks sis."

"Anything for my little bro."

As Ash left for Professor Oak's place, J felt her smile falter. She had been keeping her occupation a secret for these three years.

How would he react to the news that she is a Hunter?

* * *

"Oh, it's you," grumbled Oak.

Truthfully, he was hoping that Ash had forgotten about today so he wouldn't have to give him a pokemon. There wasn't really any reason behind it, besides the fact that Ash had in some way garnered the contempt of essentially everyone in the town.

"I have a pokedex for you, but I'm afraid we're all out of starters ... and maps ... and pokeballs ... and potions ... you'll have to make do without them. I can give you the pokemon I caught the other day, however it is extremely ill-tempered."

"Yeah, sure," repleid Ash in false cheeriness, rolling his eyes internally. For Arceus's sake, Oak was a professor. How would he ever run out of anything?

Oak randomly grabbed a pokedex and a pokeball, not noticing that he had grabbed a pokedex that was a recent shipment from Kalos.

"Here you go, now get out. I have important work to do."

Ash snorted quietly before taking the objects and leaving. _'Like what, researching on how many pizzas it takes o make an elderly man obese?'_

He walked out before opening the pokeball, revealing a Pikachu.

"Hey, there, my name is Ash, and yours?"

The Pikachu looked at Ash before releasing a Thundershock. _'Insufferable human! First you capture me while I was eating and now you mock me?!'_

"Whoa! I didn't mean any offense, really. I just wanted to know your name."

 _'You can understand me? Wait ... can you use Aura?'_

Ash nodded, thankful for his training. He created a small ball of Aura, that would never amount to teh effect of an Aura Sphere, but it was enough to convince the Pikachu.

 _'Whoa ... okay, sorry about before,_ _'_ it said while scratching its head. _'Y'see, I really hate being stuck in that infernal contraption. But anyways, my given name is Loch.'_

"Nice to meet you, Loch"

 _'Charmed. Anyways, where are we going first? You actually seem nice, to be honest. I might actually put up working with you.'_

"We'll be visiting my sister at first before heading out on our journey."

Ash and Pikachu soon headed back home, as Ash had decided to opt against putting Pikachu in that 'infernal contraption.'

"Hey sis!"

"Ash? A Pikachu? Hmm ... they're fast and have Volt Tackle as an evolutionary bonus ... very interesting. You ready for your present?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, first, to make up for what that idiot Oak decided to leave out. First give me your pokedex."

Ash haded it to her, who raised an eyebrow at the advanced technology but made no comment. She tweaked it a little before handing it back.

"Here, it should enable you to keep up to eighteen pokemon on you at a time. Although I doubt you'll ever fill it, it will keep your team out of Oak's meddling.

"Now, I've pack your bag for you. Inside are your clothes, food and water, ten pokeballs, various berries, and five potions. Should be enough to last you until you earn enough money to buy your own things."

"Wow," said Ash, who was stunned. "I'm ... I'm really thankful for all this."

"No probs, and hey, I didn't even give you your pokemon yet." She took out a pokeball and released it.

"Alright Bisharp, battle stance!"

A Bisharp came out and saluted J.

"This is my honorary brother, Ash. I'm leaving you in his care, understand? You will be working for him as if you were working for me."

The Bisharp nodded before holding out a hand to Ash. What it did not expect was for Ash to pull it into a hug, which it hesitatingly returned.

J suppressed a laugh. "Alright guys, I've gotta go. See ya." With that, she left with unnatural dexterity, leaving the three outside of the house.

"What's your name?"

 _'My name is Chrome. Although I don't expect you to understand me.'  
_

"Nice to meet you Chrome, I'm Ash."

The Bisharp blinked before looking at Loch. _'I'm not imagining things, am I?'_

 _'Aura.'_

 _'I see. In that case, Ash, please be advised to note that the birth names we give you are ... sacred, to say the least. Although I trust you, and I'm sure that the Pikachu does as well, please avoid using it in the presence of humans that we don't trust.'_

Ash blinked. "Why, is it important?"

Chrome let out a slight wince. _'It's ... a hereditary tradition. We can't really say much more, even to an Aura user.'_

Loch nodded. _'Yeah, to be honest, even though I gave you my birth name, I'd feel more comfortable if you'd use it only when we're alone.'_

Ash frowned slightly but wiped it off his face. "It's okay guys, that's fine."

He took out the pokedex. I guess I'm supposed to scan you with this? I don't really know, this is all pretty new to me, even after all that studying."

After opening the pokedex, he scanned Loch with it.

 **[Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon. This Pikachu is a male. This Pikachu knows Thundershock, Growl, Tail Whip, and Quick Attack. This Pikachu has the egg moves Reversal and Volt Tackle; however, they have not been unlocked yet.]**

Ash whistled. "Wow, that's really impressive. As Sis expected, you have Volt Tackle."

 _'It's all in the genes, buddy,'_

Ash then scanned Chrome.

 **[Bisharp, the Sword Pokemon. This Bisharp is a male. This Bisharp knows Night Slash, Stone Edge, Swords Dance, Metal Burst, Iron Head, Metal Claw, Slash, Payback, Poison Jab, Iron Defense, Guillotine, and the egg move Psycho Cut, which has been unlocked.]**

Ash and Loch's mouth dropped at Chrome's moveset, who merely smirked.

 _'It's called training. You can close your mouths now.'_

"That's ... that's amazing! Did my sister really teach you all that?"

Chrome smirked. _'Yeah, and for that, I owe her a lot. She may not be the friendliest trainer I've seen, but trust me, her methods work. At least she's fair.'_

What Crhome didn't mention was how her double life operated. Somehow, unconsciously, he felt that the kid deserved to hear it from J herself.

Loch groaned. _'Wonderful. Simply wonderful. I go around feeling as though I'm the cream of the crop and the next thing you know, I find someone who has me beat in terms of practicality. Wow. Hey, by the way, what's you're training regimen?'_

 _'It involves attacking entire trees and logs ... and stone structures ... and metal ... and quite a lot of insanely hard things. I wouldn't recommend it for a speed-oriented fighter as you.'_

Ash rubbed his chin. "Well, maybe, for Loch, we can work on learning Agility. The concept is pretty much the same as Quick Attack, although now you're not ramming something and transferring momentum into force. You use the momentum built up by your rapid movements and instead slowly store it. It's effects aren't exactly long term, because eventually the rush will wear off and you'll be more or less around your original speed, but it does keep you in shape as well as serving as an escapist mechanism."

 _'Why not just rely on Quick Attack?'_ pondered Chrome.

"Quick Attack won't leave you any reserves. It's about transferring a limited amount of your kinetic energy into force. The remainder is used as a cushion to soften any recoiling. Likewise, Take Down does not have this limitation and as such hurts the user. It's like comparing sprinting to marathoning. Using Quick Attack exhausts your energy rapidly, though you do end up traveling faster, but Agility paces yourself so that you can make the most of it."

 _'I see,'_ nodded Chrome. He was glad that his trainer was well versed in theory, not wanting a complete newbie.

"Also, Loch, I want you to try Iron Tail. Thankfully, with Chrome, we can use him to set up an example of what you should do.

"As for you, Chrome, you seem to be well rounded. I can tell that you're a physical-oriented person, but at least you have Stone Edge for range. Hmm .. have you tried throwing Psycho Cuts and Night Slashes before?"

 _'The thought has occurred to me, though I have never tried it.'_

"Regardless, it would be nice for you to try learning this, as it gives you more mobility and unpredictability. What I do want you two to learn is Magnet Rise. Both of you are weak against Ground-type attacks, but if you can avoid them, it would be a huge advantage on our side.

 _'I concur,'_ nodded Pikachu smugly. _'Do you concur.'_

 _'I concur.'_

 **This won't be the only new fic I'm starting. There will be others, bringing me back to a large number of current fics.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yeah, quick warning, it actually gets a little dark towards the middle of the story to the end, so some readers might not be able to stomach it. Just saying.**

The trio had just entered Viridian Forest when they met against their first wild pokemon.

More specifically, first group of pokemon.

Ash raised an eyebrow. He had just stumbled upon a Beedrill colony. It also appeared to be mixed with a Combee colony as well.

 _'Human,'_ spoke out a voice. _'Why do you come across our territory?'_

Ash turned around and gasped. A Vespiqueen was before him, head tilted slightly in curiosity.

"Sorry for the intrusion," he apologized. "But I was just starting my journey when I stumbled upon your colony. I hope that I'm not interrupting anything."

After a brief pause, the Vespiqueen nodded. _'A plausible alibi. Very well. For the duration of your stay, I promise you no harm from my colony should you agree to not harm my followers.'_

"Fair enough."

Loch tilted his head in relief. _'Wow, crisis averted. Last thing I need is to be swarmed a bunch of bugs.'_

Suddenly, a small group of Beedrill appeared before the queen.

 _'Your Majesty!'_ called out one. _'Our scouts report seeing a large flock of Spearow headed this way!'_

 _'Is it hostile?'_

 _'Evidently. We left a few warriors behind to stall for time, but I'm afraid that we need more support.'_

The Vespiqueen nodded. _'Call forth the Guard. We must protect the rest of the colony.'_ The group of Beedrill saluted before heading off to follow their monarch's orders.

The Vespiqueen then looked at the trio. _'I apologize that we could not meet under more favorable conditions, but I must prepare for battle. I advise you to stay behind the lines until the danger has passed.'_

Ash looked at Chrome and Loch, and the trio came to an unspoken agreement. "With all due respect, your majesty, we would like to aid you in this battle."

The Vespiqueen did not reply but gave a grateful nod before heading to the front lines.

 _'Alright, so what's the plan, boss?'_ asked Loch. He was itching for a fight ever since they left Pallet Town.

"Actually," replied Ash. "I think that Chrome has more expertise than us in this area. What do you think?"

Chrome mulled for a bit, although slightly surprised that Ash wanted his opinion.

 _'Well, I advise staying away from the actual fighting. It will be too chaotic with the colony and the flock attacking each other. MaxProb of success and survival indicates that we attempt to attack them form the side, weakening their forces. I'd advise striking their left flank. Meanwhile, we could also attempt to help protect the forest pokemon that may be caught in the crossfire. Is that alright with you?'_ While speaking, Chrome had unintentionally changed into 'mission' mode.

Ash blinked before nodding. "Yeah, that seems pretty good. My only concern is that you have mostly melee attacks. You'd probably become injured pretty bad during this fight."

 _'I have endured far more stronger opponents than a flock of wild Spearow. I'll be fine. What I am concerned with is you, Ash. Mistress J told me that you have some skills in fighting, but they won't help much against an enemy that is faster and can also hover ten feet off the ground.'  
_

Ash nodded, seeing the wisdom in Chrome's words. Without missing a beat, the group headed to the battleground.

What greeted them was a Fearow and the Vespiqueen have a stare-off, neither pokemon giving an inch to the other. Around them lay their warriors, eager to step in should anything happen.

 _'Why have you entered our territory?'_ demanded the Vespiqueen.

The Fearow gave out a screech. ' _Nothing personal, it's just that we're expanding our territory. A shame that you are in the way ... I don't think you would be so kind as to simply leave?'_ it asked mockingly.

The Vespiqueen shook her head before summoning her guard, an action that was reciprocated on the other side.

Then all hell broke loose.

Pokemon attacked pokemon, endlessly battling one another. If an opponent fell, the fighter simply moved onto the next.

Ash, Chrome, and Loch went to the side and hit from the left flank. For Loch, he would stun the Spearows or ram them with Quick Attack. As for Chrome, he settled to knock out the Spearows with rapid slashes or a barrage of Stone Edges. Between the two of them, they managed to keep them away from Ash.

Meanwhile, Ash was helping usher the nearby pokemon away from the battlefield.

It was going fine until a group of Spearow noticed Ash. Shrieking, they dove down, aiming to pierce the human, too quick for Chrome or Loch to notice them.

Ash noticed them, and his eyes widened, but by then it was too late. Their Pecks had torn apart his shirt and some blood was dripping out of a few wounds.

"!"

Ash stumbled backwards in surprised, but was given little chance to be surprised as the Spearow dove at him once again.

 _'Ash!'_

Chrome lept in front of his trainer before unleashing a barrage of Stone Edge to deter the would-be attackers.

 _'Are you okay?'_ demanded Chrome as he began inspecting Ash for injuries.

"I'm fine," insisted Ash, as he brushed away Chrome's worry. "Just go help out."

Chrome looked at Ash in the eyes before nodding and dashing away.

 _'This has gone on too long.'_

Chrome dashed to the front of the battle and issued a challenge.

 _'Hey, you stupid chickens! Get your ass over here!'_

Immediately the fight stopped, everyone looking at him in curiosity or amusement.

 _'Yeah, that's right,'_ muttered Chrome. _'Just keep your attention on me.'_

The Fearow hovered in front of him. _'Tell me, do you have a death wish?'_

 _'Well, I have a wish, and it's your death, so yeah.'_

The Fearow smirked before becoming impassive.

 _'Kill him.'_

At once, the Spearows began conglomerating into a massive form in front of Chrome, who had his arms crossed over his torso.

 _'Any last words?'_ asked the Fearow in amusement.

 _'Yeah, three actually, but I'd prefer to state them while you are attacking me.'_

With that, the mass of Spearows descended on Chrome.

All the spectators watched with wide eyes. A few Beedrill set out to help him, but the Vespiqueen held them back.

 _'Wait. Something is off. He's far too confident.'_

It appeared that the Fearow also noticed this and its eyes widened as it realized its mistake.

 _'Get out of there, you fools!'_ it demanded as it quickly flew out of the immediate vicinity.

It was too late, however. By then, the Spearows' inertia prevented them form changing direction and Chrome smirked.

 _'Checkmate.'_

A blinding light shone in his torso, although upon closer inspection it came form the blades on his arms. The light got brighter and brighter as the Spearow neared until it appeared to look like the sun. Once the closest Spearow was touching him, he uttered his next two words.

 _'Metal Burst.'_

Chrome threw his arms out, releasing the massive energy that had been continuously piling up. The light enveloped the Spearow mass and completely obliterated it.

So bright was the light, that it appeared as if a star was born.

A few seconds of silence drummed through the air. Mercifully, the explosion was not loud enough to perforate any eardrums.

Once Ash's vision returned, he was absolutely stunned. There Chrome was, standing regal and absolutely undeterred from what happened before, aside from some heavy breathing.

In front of him was an absolute nightmare.

Spearows laid still in the ground before him. A few of them twitched, and even fewer managed to get up but most of them were not moving.

Ash realized with a lump in his throat that they would never move again.

The Fearow descended slowly, looking warily at the sight before it. _'What have you done?'_ it croaked out as it gazed upon its fallen comrades.

 _'I have merely turned their power upon themselves,'_ replied Chrome with an impassive facade.

 _'Liar!'_ hissed the Fearow. _'Murderer! Bane of my kind! You have slaughtered so many of my comrades, so many of my family! You must pay with your life!'_

Chrome shook his head. _'I regret the consequences of my actions but not the action itself. You brought your kind to fight us. You decided to initiate this feud. It was you who decided to launch your family against me. It was not I that killed them, but you.'_

The Fearow shrieked in fury. _'I will have my vengeance fulfilled, no matter how long it may take me! I swear, with Lord Arceus as my witness, that you will pay!'_

Chrome sighed before walking away. _'I will not fight a broken warrior. Leave, and never come back.'_

The Fearow tried charging at him, but then Beedrill's lined in front of him. Realizing that he could not win, he spat out a few obscenities before leaving, followed by whatever Spearows were still alive.

* * *

Afterwards, the colony began to bury the dead. Both side had taken losses, although the number of Spearows fallen far exceeded the casualties of the colony.

 _'Human,'_ asked the Vespiqueen. _'Are you okay?'_

Ash looked up from where he was sitting. "Hm? Yeah, I was thinking about something."

 _'I assume that this was the first time you witnessed death, correct?'_

Ash let out a sigh. "Yeah, I mean, sis did warn that this was natural and would happen, but I just thought ..."

 _'You hoped that you would never witness it with your bare eyes.'_ Ash sighed and nodded, putting his head in his head.

 _'Human, look at me,'_ stated the Vespiqueen.

 _'You have a life ahead of you. Don't get too depressed over the course of today's events. Every minute, every second, a conflict like this usually happens. I, too, dislike such fighting, but I can do little about it. It is in our nature to fight. To compete with one another. All this thrives from the need to survive._

 _'I must admit, this is a terrible thing for a child as yourself to witness, but it is better that you understand now than to remain ignorant for your life. You need not worry about the fates of others. Instead, look inside of yourself and ask what you yourself can do. Who knows? Maybe you can fix this lifestyle of ours. But that will never happen unless you stop dwelling in the past._

 _'Once, a raiding party snuck past my guards, and wrecked havoc from within. It was not until the chaos had quelled that I realized the true extent of their attack. Many of our innocent civilians had died, including the children. Some of them were mine. Was I bitter about it? yes. however, I knew deep down that no matter how earnestly I attempted to right their deaths, I could never bring them back. So I was forced to move on.'_

Ash looked at the Vespiqueen in sympathy. He had never realized just how much other people went through. Living in Pallet Town had limited his vision, but now taht he was out, he was suddenly exposed to the harshness of reality.

 _'Enough about me,'_ stated the Vespiqueen. _'I must thank you for your help. I would like for you to have one of our children to look after, if it is not too much for you. If you can look after her, I am forever grateful.'_

Ash smiled before hugging the Vespiqueen. "Of course."

* * *

Afterwards, the trio left the colony.

 _'Hey boss, you gonna be okay?'_ asked Loch from Ash's shoulder. He was worried when he saw his trainer's look from seeing the corpses.

"I'm okay," replied Ash, holding an egg in his arms.

 _'Ash,'_ said Chromes seriously. _'I regret being the bearer of bad news, but I am positive that we will encounter a battle like the one before at least one more time in our journey.'_

Ash laugehd out loud, startling the two pokemon.

"You guys don't have to worry about me all the time. The Vespiqueen was kind enough to explain it all to me.

"If we find ourselves in another battle next time, I want to stop it before anyone gets hurt."


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm actually pretty surprised by the reception this story had. Unlike some of my other stories, I wrote this one on a whim. I'd always thought of making stories where an antagonist could actually function as a supporting character. And, you know, I've rarely seen fics where Hunter J acts like one (and fewer are those that are still ongoing), so here we are.**

 **This story was also made in part due to the growing hate among my school. Yeah, yeah, I know living in America means trolls, hate, and all that bullshit but considering I attend one of the largest high schools in the country, it's absolute annoying at how this hate is emerging.**

 **Guys, just don't be assholes. The world already has one for every person in the world, we don't need you becoming one.**

 **Also, Silver doesn't exist. You'll see why later.**

' _Where are we going now, boss?'_ asked Loch. _'I mean, you haven't told us yet.'_

Ash frowned. "Honestly, the Viridian City Gym has been closed again, so we'll just stay there for a night and move on to the next nearest one - Pewter City. In the meantime, Loch, I want you to practice Iron Tail. I want to test you out against Brock for a bit, since I know that Chrome can absolutely shred his team to pieces."

' _Hmm,'_ wondered Chrome. ' _Lulling the opponent into a false sense of security while gauging out their personalities ...'_ Chrome stopped short when he saw the blank-faced expressions of Ash and Loch. _'What?'_

"We have no clue what you're talking about," deadpanned Ash. "Look, whatever high-end strategy you might have planned out is from your experience. I'm a rookie, remember?" At this Chrome laughed.

The group eventually reached Viridian City and Ash booked a room at the Pokemon Center. After doing so, they moved to the training area around the back.

"Alright, Loch," began Ash. "You know Tail Whip, right?" Seeing the nod of consent from the Pikachu, he continued. "Practice doing so on a nearby rock, and practice clenching as well.

"As for you, Chrome...I honestly don't know how to train you. You're simply too advanced for me to teach you anything. Unless..."

 _'What is it?'_ the Bisharp asked.

"How do you feel about a challenge?"

 _'And what exactly is that challenge?'_

"Pacifist challenge. Since you'd basicaly steamroll any trainer before you, I want you to avoid offensive moves to attack the enemy unless I give you express permission to."

 _'Interesting...that sounds like a challenge indeed. I accept.'_

"Are you sure you can handle it?" teased Ash. "You seem to be pretty much offensive oriented. I'm not sure a pokemon like you can win like that."

 _'Please,'_ scoffed Chrome. _'Me guarding is a weapon of its own right. And I've trained more than enough to be adequate st hand to hand combat.'_

"You do aikido," deadpanned Ash. "That's not offensive in any regard."

 _'I also do Krav Maga and Muay Thai.'_

As the two continued their banter, Loch found an opening out of the forest.

 _'Oi, both of you,'_ he called out. _'We're finally out of the stupid forest. I'm sick and tired of frying bugs and birds for training. Also, I want GOOD food.'_

"Yeah, yeah, quit your complaining," laughed Ash as he stepped into the clearing. Honestly, it felt great to be back in civilization.

 _'How's the egg, anyways?'_ asked Chrome.

"Well, it's alive," snarked Ash. Only to be whacked in the head by his pokemon. "Okay, yeah, it wasn't funny, but seriously, it hasn't hatched yet. What else am I going to say?"

* * *

As the three made their way toward the Pokemon Center, they had no idea what J was setting up behind the scenes.

"Ah, J, such a pleasure. Care for some tea?"

"The pleasure is mine."

The man poured the Hunter some of his tea, not willing to risk aggravating her. Even if he did sic his Persian on her, he knew he'd have turned to stone long before he got to see his pokemon attack.

"So why are you here today?" the man asked after sipping some tea.

"I want to make a deal with you."

"Oh? What does a Hunter like you want from me?"

"I need one of your top agents."

"Pardon?" asked the man, genuinely surprised by the request. "May I ask why?"

"You see, I have a ... surrogate brother. I want your agent to look after him."

"And why should I care?"

"He is an abused child," replied J quietly. "I'm sure you can understand."

At this, the man said nothing. He stood up and looked outside his window.

"Tell me, J, do you truly care about this child?"

"He is the one person I care about," she stated. "I'll pay whatever I have to in order to get someone to look after him in my stead."

The man gave a slight nod before looking at Matori, who was standing impassively at his side.

"Please inform Executive Ariana to report to my office now." Matori gave a slight nod before leaving

A few momenta later, a woman with red hair showed up alongaide his secretary. "Sir, you needed me?"

"Yes, Ms. J will be hiring your services."

"Yes, sir.". She then turned to J. "What do you need?"

"I need you to look after my surrogate brother. He is an abuse victim, so I will pay you whatever price you demand in order to treat him well."

Ariana's eyes widened at this revelation before she gave a nod. "With your permission, I'll take the job for free."

"Why?"

"You're not hiring me to capture or control anything. You're asking me to be a decent human being to a child. Besides, I..." Before she could finish, her voice faltered as memories of her past resurfaced.

The man and J knew that reaction all too well and did not comment on it.

"Follow me for now," ordered J. "Once he contacts me, I will send you to him."

As the two left, the man went back to looking outside the window.

"Sir?" asked Matori. "May I ask why you agreed?"

"We all have our monsters in our closets..." He said wistily.

* * *

Once Ash and his Pokemon entered the Pokemon center, he had Nurse Joy handle his Pokemon's rest and went to

place a call with his sister. After a few seconds, J picked up.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Hey, sis," he said. "I'm in Viridian City right now."

J blinked. "Hold that thought, I'm in the same city. You're at the pokemon center, right? Give me a minute or two." With that, she cut off the call.

Ash stared at the blank screen for a few moments before the doors to the pokemon center opened showing J and a red haired woman behind her.

"Sis!" shouted Ash, as he ran into a hug.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here," smirked J. "By the way, meet Ariana. Ariana, this is my brother, Ash."

Ash looked at the red haired woman in awe. She was wearing an black hoodie with a grey tank top underneath. Additionally, she was wearing grey sweatpants and sneakers.

When Ariana first had a look at her "casual wear," she thought it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen. Upon seeing Ash's wide-eyed look, however, she gave a slight smile before pinching his cheeks.

"He's adorable," she said, smirking as he blushed at her touch.

"She's a friend of mine from a few years back," J "explained." "Anyways, she's agreed to looking over you while I do my work. Don't give her any trouble, okay?" She gave Ash a pointed look.

"Y-Yes!" stuttered Ash, still embarrassed at how Ariana was treating him like a kid.

"Good luck," said J. "Also, a word of note: the gym leader here demands no less than seven badges in order ro challenge him, so I'd recommend challenging an easier gym, like the Pewter City gym."

"Thanks, sis," replied Ash, giving his surrogate sister a tight hug. Although she was not used to it, she returned it, though a bit awkwardly.

"Alright kid, see ya." With that, J left the center, preparing to enter her craft.

"So, Ash," began Ariana as they waited for his pokemon to heal up. "What pokemon do you have right now?"

"Well, only my starters now: a Pikachu and a Bisharp. Oh yeah, I also have an egg."

"Oh? May I see the egg?"

"Sure!" Ash reached into his bag and carefully pulled the egg out. "I got it from a bug colony inside the Viridian forest."

Ariana blinked before studying the patterns of the egg.

"Yellow and black...with a little orange...and you said you got it froma bug colony?"

"Yeah, a Vespiqueen gave it to me as thanks for protecting her colony from some Spearows."

"I see...well, congrats, you have a Combee egg."

"You don't say," Ash snarked, only for him to pinch his cheeks again.

"Just because you're a cute kid doesn't mean you can give me lip," Ariana scolded. "Didn't your sister ever teach you manners?"

Soon, Ash was called to pick up his pokemon. He had Loch jump up on his shoulder while Chrome saluted him.

"Alright, guys, ready?" he asked. Upon getting their nods if confirmation, he grinned. "Time to head to our first gym, the Pewter City gym!"

Ariana shook her head while smiling at seeing the enthusiasm before her. It was honestly rather contagious.

* * *

As the group continued on their path, they were confronted with a few trainers who were also starting their journey.

"I challenge you to a pokemon battle!". yelled one.

Ash shared an amused look with his pokemon before nodding his consent.

"Go, Ratata!"

"Let's go, L-uh, Pikachu," stuttered Ash, forgetting about the sacred name issue.

"Use **Tackle**!"

"Agility, then use **Thunder Shock**."

Loch easily dodged the clumsy tackle before letting out a short burst of electricity, causing his opponent to shriek in pain.

"No!" shouted the trainer. "Ratata, use **Tackle** again!"

"Hit him with **Quick Attack**." With that hit, Ratata was rendered unconscious.

"Aw, man," complained the trainer. "That was over too fast."

Ash shrugged. "Better luck next time?" he suggested.

"Maybe," the trainer sighed. "You better be ready when that day comes!" With that, the trainer took off running after returning his Pokemon to its Pokeball.

 _'That wasn't fun,'_ complained Loch. _'I've fought Pidgeys who lasted longer!'_

"That's because Pidgeys can fly. Ratatas can't."

Ariana stared at the scene in a slight bemusement. Although she knew that her ward was capable of communicating with Pokemon, it was still awkward not understanding one half of the conversation.

The Pikachu had accepted her well enough but the Bisharp...well, she could assume that it was a gift from J. It was understandably suspicious of her. After all, she had only recently joined.

If anything, she'd be more shocked if it _wasn't_ suspicious of her, considering it used to be one of J's pokemon.

"Hey, Ash," she asked. "You mind if I let my pokemon out for some fresh air?" She was greeted with a confused look.

"Of course you can. I'm more confused over why you didn't do so beforehand." The corner of her mouth twitching, she settled for not pinching the boy's cheek again. She had abused it enough today.

"Yeah, yeah, come on out folks."

Ariana released her Pokemon, which consisted of a Kabutops, an Arbok, a Vileplume, a Crobat, a Weavile, and a Honchkrow. They looked around for a second, surprised to not be fighting, before standing at attention to Ariana.

"At ease," she murmured, before a thought came up to her.

"Hey, Ash," she said, getting everyone's attention. "How would you like to train against my Pokemon? There's nothing quite like fighting someone far above your skill level."

Ash looked at his two Pokemon, who gave their nods. He smiled.

"Heck yeah."

 **That should satisfy you guys until the next update...not. You'll probably have to wait around a year again seeing how slowly I update.**


	4. Notice

**Note: As of now, I've lost any and all dedication to writing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to quit, but I'm sick of life in general.**

 **I have very few true friends, one of whom is BookPrincess34. She is the sole reason why I am remotely sane. The rest of my "friends" use me, and I must admit that I am not exaggerating. Every day, there is always that one friend who praises how I am the sole reason they are passing the course. Nothing more. I have little, if any, interaction with them whatsoever outside of providing them with help. In fact, I have gone to events with my coworkers more than I have with my friends.**

 **My family is a pain in the ass. Quite frankly, they don't love me. They mock my decisions in life, almost grounded me for life when they discovered me writing fics, and mentally and emotionally abuse me. I'll be honest, before I met BP, there was not a single night where I didn't cry myself to sleep. They hide their disgust at me behind faux concern, giving me a "choice" of what I can do, when there is only one option available. Even if I am allowed to choose, they go ahead and control my life as they please. Beatings have happened before, but ever since the CPS investigated us due to a (gratifying) mistake made by my sister, they have stopped.**

 **To them, I am the bane of their ideals. I am not handsome, my face is riddled with scars that my father's genes provided. I am not tall enough, since I squandered my growing period staying up trying to impress them with my grades. I am not smart enough, since they always have a friend whose child is doing better than me. I am not strong enough, since I have a thin frame. To them, I am the amalgamation of everything that could possibly go wrong. They make no attempt to hide their disappointment anymore, openly shaming me in public and scorning me for hours. My home is no longer safe for me.**

 **My only respite comes from talking to BP. Because of her, I have someone willing to back me up. Because of her, I have enough courage to not run away from home again and walk through the gate. Because of her, I know someone who can sympathize with me, since she has been through worse. Because of her, I am genuinely happy.**

 **We talk about random things, we talk about a collab fic, we talk about each other, etc. It matters not the topic, but the fact that we are talking together is enough to ease our burdens. She has her demons, I have mine. Though we may end up crossing the line with each other occasionally, the knowledge of just how much shit we've been through allows us to move past this. In other words, she's basically my best friend at this point.**

 **It is disheartening how my parents are almost antithetical to her. To them, I am the sole cause of all that is wrong. It matters not if someone else made a mistake, I am always the first to be blamed, the harshest punished, the last one to be forgiven or apologized to. To them, I don't deserve justice.**

 **They insult me. They belittle me. They mock my dreams after demanding I tell them. They punish and scold me for doing what I am told to do. They humiliate me for trying to help out. They sneer at my attempts to fit their ideals, stare coldly at my attempts to make them proud, and mock me for being a useless son when I try to make them happy.**

 **What hurts the most is that, deep down, a little innocent, broken, naive little piece of me is still waiting for them to say that they love me, that I have done something right in my life. To this day, I'm still waiting for a single genuine compliment, not a forced one in front of guests or teachers. To this day, I'm still waiting for them to accept that I cannot fit their ideals, that I am my own person. To this day, I'm still waiting for them to say I have made them proud.**

 **To this day, I'm still waiting for them to consider me as a family member, not a fallback plan in case their lives become harder.**

 **The mature aspect of me understands that I am not a member of the family. I have accepted that I will never be more than a pawn in their eyes, a piece that can be used to make them rise up in their retirement age. To those who assume this is a misconception, know that they have even bluntly stated they have kept a record of how much I have caused them to spend, and expect me to pay it all off once I grow up, interest as well.**

 **The mature aspect of me understands that I will never be able to make them proud, no matter what I do. There will always be a someone earning more than me, someone looking better, someone smarter. Someone they wish was their son.**

 **I know that I am not alone in this. Many of people exist out there who deal with the same bullshit as I do. But for the sake of this note, just bear with my selfishness for a moment.**

 **Their treatment of me has warped my sense of reality. I am no longer capable of forming thoughts without imagining irrational futures which I know can never happen. In fact, I can't even tell as I'm typing this whether I'm focused on my words, or if my mind is wandering off to some fantasy to escape this dead world.**

 **I suppose it isn't fair to blame them for everything. I consider myself an abomination, with their help of course. In fact, part of the reason for my hatred against myself stems from something similar to a short story I once wrote, titled Is It Wrong?  
**

 **/The following short story was written based on events that occurred in my life. Believe it or not, nothing written is coincidental, and can be used to understand my situation further/**

 **Synopsis: A boy wants an older sister, but as time passes by, he thinks about the choice he made.**

 **Is it wrong?**

 **I'm a simple boy in your average high school. I have friends, family that supports me (when they're not criticizing me), a decent house, a person that I like, etc.**

 **I help out in my free time, I struggle with homework, and I get decent grades.**

 **I'm also incredibly selfish.**

 **Tell me, is it wrong for a person who has all this to complain? Especially in a world where millions of people can't get food or even time to think?**

 **Maybe. But I gotta ask something.**

 **Is it wrong for me to want something as simple as an older sibling?**

 **…**

 **Is it?**

 **Don't get me wrong, I know there's no way I'll ever get an older sibling by blood. But what about fraternal siblings?**

 **Is it too much for me to ask for someone to look after me, regardless of our differences? Is it wrong for me to want someone to rely on, a role model, an idol, someone who I see as a god or goddess?**

 **Tell me, is it wrong?**

 **I kinda stumbled through much of my life as a solitary kid. Don't get me wrong, I had friends, but I was always the third wheel, always the outsider.**

 **It's kinda awkward, you know. You know that your friends are trying to accommodate you, but you also know that you're not wanted.**

 **So you let them do as they want and watch from the shadows.**

 **Was I wrong to do so?**

 **One day, life changed for me when a family member came over to stay for a while. My cousin.**

 **I dunno how old she was. Hell, I don't even remember how old I was when I first met her. But hey, can't complain when she agreed to be my surrogate big sister.**

 **"Oh? Don't worry, just call me Sis!"**

 **…**

 **Yeah, I know. I'm weird. But really, is it wrong for me to want this?**

 **Sis was everything I wanted. She helped me out, played with me, comforted me when I cried, everything a little kid wants.**

 **To me, Sis was the first real friend I ever had.**

 **But all good things come to an end.**

 **After a month, Sis had to return back to her home. I can't describe how devastated I was.**

 **It's like … a clench in your chest. You know, kinda like heartbreak. Except not, since that would be incest and that's creepy, right? But … was it wrong for me to feel depressed if Sis was going to leave me?**

 **"Don't cry. One day, I'll be back!"**

 **No matter how hard my parents tried, I was always gloomy after Sis left. I felt hollow and bitter, as if no one would ever play with me again.**

 **One year later, Sis returned. I can't describe how happy I was.**

 **You have to understand. Sis was … the perfect person, in my eyes. Sure, it's kinda weird considering I'm a guy and all, but … I really did admire her. Never did I see her cry. Never did I see her weak. To me, she was a goddess.**

 **And yet, she still had to leave.**

 **As time passed by, to chances for me to see Sis grew smaller and smaller. Eventually, I had to confront the idea that I would have to move on.**

 **It's kinda cruel, really. What did I deserve to receive this? The first real friend I ever had, and I couldn't see her for more than a month or so.**

 **It got me thinking.**

 **Was it wrong for me to have such a selfish desire?**

 **After Sis left when I was in fourth grade, it wouldn't be until eighth grade that I would see her again.**

 **By then, I had made new friends. I had found people I could genuinely rely on, even if they were kinda weird. But that's fine. I'm weird too.**

 **When I saw Sis again, inwardly, I was overjoyed. I hoped that everything would be like it had been before.**

 **Why can't life ever be that simple?**

 **Why … just why?**

 **Sis no longer played with me. Sis no longer talked or even looked at me. Sis was always busy with something else.**

 **It was to be expected. Sis was an adult now. She had college to worry about, she was still human after all.**

 **Although my chest hurt when she left again, I gave that bitter smile I always gave when she smiled at me and said goodbye.**

 **That night, I cried again.**

 **Why? If Sis was going to visit, couldn't she at least acknowledge me? Why did she just ignore me for the week she was staying here?**

 **Wouldn't it have been better if she never came here?**

 **Was it wrong for me to wish I had never met her?**

 **I remember reading up on Freud's findings.**

 **A kid tends to fall in love with their mother or father figure due to the neglect of their real parent.**

 **That wasn't me, right?**

 **I mean, I don't think I'd ever really fall in love with Sis, and I doubt that I would consider my parents as neglectful but …**

 **Did I really love Sis? Maybe. She was the first person I knew I could trust, since parents were always the cold overlords what impassively judged your every move.**

 **It sounds kind disgusting thinking about it. Never mind the fact that she's my cousin, but I honestly thought of her as my sister.**

 **Is it wrong of me to think of her like that?**

 **It hurts to think about her.**

 **It hurts.**

 **I still refuse to believe that I fell for her. That's so wrong.**

 **…**

 **Is it?**

 **I mean, I get the whole thing about inbreeding and stuff, but is it that bad?**

 **But … what about her? Would she ever love me back?**

 **…**

 **I hate myself.**

 **I hate myself for ever being born. I hate how I can't be more popular. I hate how I can't be smart I hate how I can't be strong I hate how nobody likes me IhatehownomatterwhatIdoit'snevergoodenough.**

 **I hate it.**

 **But most of all, I hate how I met Sis.**

 **I wanted an older sister figure, and I ended up falling in love with her.**

 **Is it wrong?**

 **/End/**

 **As you can see, the protagonist (me) fell in love with his cousin, who is nicknamed Sis. Yes, I did fall in love my cousin, and yes she is (for some tradition that I don't understand) nicknamed Sis. Feel free to take a moment to rethink what possible horrendous character I could have, that I would ever fall in love with her.**

 **...**

 **I confessed to her a few months back, and she took it surprisingly well. Unsurprisingly, I was rejected. I expected as much. After all, the mere fact that we are cousins should be deterrent enough.**

 **It doesn't help that I've grown up convinced I was a useless piece of shit. Even as I confessed, I knew that I didn't deserve someone like her. Further information lies in this anonymous confession I once made in my school's confession page:**

 **"Okay, so before you guys immediately start despising me, hear me out.**

 **I've lived a fucked up life, though not as fucked up as some of my friends. I've been treated as a dog (I'm not joking, these kids would treat me like a fucking animal), publicly humiliated, and beaten. As a child, I've always wanted someone to look up to.**

 **That person was my cousin, who was several years older than me.**

 **Now, I bet you probably know how this post will end up, but please, hear me out. My cousin, she ... Fuck, I don't know how to describe her without doing her an injustice. She's, imo, one of the only people I truly care about, maybe even he only person I care about. She's like an angel, and she seemingly cares for me more than my parents do.**

 **She comes over to visit for the holidays often, and I don't know when it began, but I think it was when we were singing along to the radio in the car and she sang to the lyrics of ""Only Girl in the World"" or whatever. I began to fall in love with her.**

 **If you feel disgusted,you have every right to be, but again, please hear me out.**

 **It started as a crush. She was everything I dreamed to be: beautiful, talented, incredibly smart, so carefree and friendly ... It's hard to believe we're related. Me? I'm just your run of the mill Asian guy who has bad genes, average grades, and isolated in real life. To me, she was practically a goddess.**

 **As I grew older, that crush turned into love. She was practically the only thing I looked forward to during the holidays. By now, I had realized what incest was and why it was immoral.**

 **Guys, you have to understand the moral dilemma I was going through at the age of what, 12 or 13? Ever since, I've been crushed by guilt over my secret love for her and my conscience. I turned 16 this year, so put that into perspective.**

 **I think about a year or two ago, she found out maybe. She stayed a little more distant from me and interacted less with me. She still gave me a friendly smile whenever we met eye contact, though it looked a little strained.**

 **Feel free to judge all you want. Yeah, I'm a disgusting freak who should be outcasted or whatever. Trust me, I've contenolated suicide over this before and have attempted twice, and botched both attempts.**

 **So remember, if you think you have love life problems, at least you have a minor chance. Me? I'm a fucking joke. My face is ugly and riddled with scars, I'm slim but not fit, my eyes unnerve people (I've had kids cry just by making eye contact with me, warning glares from parents), and no one seems to tolerate my real personality, causing me to keep a facade up always."  
**

 **As you can tell, I fell hard for my cousin. However, the sheer guilt of this made me hate myself. I tortured myself mentally, trying to get rid of this from my head. In tandem with the emotional abuse I received...I'm not exactly the most stable person out there.**

 **Time passed and I still feel relatively hollow, but the weight was lifted off my chest. Kinda. The topic no longer makes me want to kill myself, nor do I lose sleep over it anymore. But the aftereffects remained: I lost my muse. The guilt and wretchedness I felt was what propelled me to write more as a stress reliever.**

 **So what does this mean for my stories? Well, they will take a LONG time before being updated. I'm still struggling to juggle school and my health, as well as making time to talk to BP. Who knows? Maybe I'll find my muse again. Until then, I don't expect much.**


	5. Chapter 4

"Ow," muttered Ash.

To say training was painful was an understatement. Ariana's pokemon wreaked havoc on his.

Well, mainly Loch. Chrome was sinply too experienced to be taken down easily, and he easily parried or dodged blows. Loch was not having as much luck. Being far less experienced, he was barraged from all sides relentlessly.

As much as he hated to say it, it did work in training Loch. Forced to endure a worst case scenario match-up, his powers drastically improved as he struggled to force his opponents to ease up, and his speed was mercifully improving under the harsh guidance of the Kabutops and the Crobat.

"Hey, um, Ariana?" asked Ash, causing the woman to turn to him. "You think you can give Pikachu a rest now? He's been getting his ass kicked for six hours straight now."

Ariana glanced at her watch. "Huh. So it has. Fair enough, we'll take a break for now...but the Bisharp has to train. Also, it's your turn."

Ash paled slightly, before allowing Loch to rest on his jacket. "Good job, buddy, you're really improving."

' _Yeah, well our_ _relationship isn't,'_ grumbled the Pikachu. _'I take back any nice things I thought of that lady. She's an absolute psycho. I swear, her Pokemon are more scared of her than they are of each other.'_

Ash laughed nervously before removing as much clothing as possible, leaving him in a t-shirt and shorts. "Well, will we begin?"

Before he could react, a kick was aimed at his head. If he hadn't trained before, he would have never caught and he'd certainly have a massive dent in his head.

Sheer experience saved him, and he narrowly managed to block the kick with his arm. Grimacing at the force behind the attack, he was unable to counter properly and threw a sloppy counterattack which she easily dodged.

"Lesson one," she smirked. "Expect an opponent who doesn't fight fairly. Life's not moderated by turns and greetings, sweetie. You have to expect a hit, if youre not fast enough to throw the first blow."

She then charged at him again. Now ready, Ash charged in as well. Just as they were about to collide, Ariana disappeared and reappeared behind him, smashing her leg into his back.

Ash's eyes widened, his spine cracking from the violent blow. Not being one to be outdone, he rolled over to throw Ariana's balance off before grabbing her leg and flinging her into a tree.

Caught off guard, Ariana was unable to recover and gave a chocked gasp as she crashed into the tree. Grinning, she put up her hands in order to block a punch before dealing a series of blows onto Ash.

Now prepeared, Ash easily matched the hits, though a few got past his guard. Catching an opening, he kicked up high only to hit nothing.

Ariana had anticipated him seeking an opening and deliberately revealed a weak spot. Seeing the boy fall for the trick, she sidestepped his attack and scissor-locked his legs before doing a backflip so that Ash was smashed into the ground.

Before Ash could recover, however, Ariana kicked him hard in the gut, knocking the wind of him and then wrenching his body up. She grasped the sides of his head and lightly yanked it, simulating a neck twist.

"Game over, Ash," she purred, letting him go and allowing the boy to rest on her.

"Wow," heaved out Ash. "You're... really strong...and fast..."

"Honey, if I wasn't this good, my boss wouldn't keep me around.

"You're a good fighter, kid, but not good enough. Your sister taught you how to defend yourself from most people who don't know how to fight, but what if you ever go against someone like me?"

Something occurred to Ash. "You've never told me who your boss is."

Ariana gave a slight wince. "You don't need to know, at least not now." This caused Ash to frown, but he nodded.

"Oi, Pikachu," he called out, getting the attention of Loch. "You got Iron Tail yet?"

Loch grinned before hopping up and spinning forwards rapidly. As he did so, Ash caught a glimpse of metal reflecting light and the spinning rodent hit a boulder, easily shattering it. After the attack, the Pikachu, still spinning, bounced into the air, where he straightened himself out and landed neatly on his paws.

 _'Hell yeah!'_ he cheered. _'The only thing I can use that can shatter those stupid boulders that that damn Kabutops keeps throwing at me. Fuck him!'_

Ash laughed and clapped. "Great! Now we can go kick the Pewter City Gym Leader's ass!" He then looked over at Chrome, who was easily matching the strikes of his peers with precision timing blocking.

"We can't lose now."

"You're gonna lose!" laughed Brock, seeing the challenger's pokemon.

A Pikachu? His pokemon were part ground ground type. Didn't this kid know how typing worked?

Ash frowned. "So what if I choose a Pikachu? If I'm going to lose, isn't it your job to kick my ass."

Brock gave a cruel smile. "So be it, brat. How about we up the stakes a bit? If I win, I get a date with that lady behind you."

It took every ounce of Ariana to not shoot the gym leader right then and there. To insult her ward was one thing. But to use herself as a trophy...

She murdered others for lesser insults.

"And if I win?" asked Ash.

Brock grinned before showing a badge, which was the normal gym badge except there was a ruby inside.

"This here is a League sanctioned Challenge Badge," he smirked. "You get this from me, and the other 17 members, and you'll get a treatment from the Elite 4 like you wouldn't believe. So how's that for a deal?"

Ash looked to Ariana, who gave a jerk of her head and a clear look on her face that said _'Kick his ass.'_

He was only too happy to agree.

"Onix, let's dig."

"Pikachu, you know what to do."

"Rock Throw!"

"Dodge, then Agility."

Due to Loch's recent training, he was absurdly sore, but also incredibly nimble. Along with the Agility training he learned, he relaxed and tightened his muscles carefully, allowing him to reach faster speeds without any serious strain."

"Sandstorm! Drown the rodent in a sea of stone!"

Ash was surprised by the move. Normally, a Sandstorm was thick enough to aggravate and blind most pokemon, while not affecting those acclimated to it. However, this sandstorm was much thicker, to the point where even Onix's growls of discomfort could be heard.

"Hey!" shouted out Ariana, standing up. "Are you trying to kill that Pikachu?"

Brock gave her a sickly smile. "What's wrong with a little harshness in battling? You sit your sweet ass down, miss, the men are fighting here. Oh sorry, the man and the boy."

Ash gritted his teeth upon hearing this, and forced himself to calm down. Closing his eyes, he tried using aura to sense Loch.

 _'Loch!'_ he shouted mentally, once he located the Pikachu. _'Get your ass out of there!'_

 _'It hurts, boss!'_

 _'Of course it hurts! But does it hurt as much as an Night Slash from that Honchkrow?'_

 _'Hell no! That son of a bitch cheats! I swear, he sharpens this wings all the time!'_

 _'Then get through! It's a sandstorm, not a sand coffin! Combine Agility with Quick Attack and run around in a circle'_

 _'This is gonna hurt!'_

Ash opened his eyes and saw some movement within the sandstorm.

"Come on, Pikachu!" he cheered. "Kick his butt!"

Loch gritted his teeth and kept running around and around, gaining speed despite the abrasive storm around him slicing into his flesh. As his speed increased, he became a blur, and started forming a miniature tornado that forced the sand to travel around his body, a vortex that freed his body from pain and gave Ash visibility of the field once again.

Brock's jaw dropped, as did an equally stunned Onix. 'What?!"

Ash grinned. "On my mark, stop! One...two...now!"

 _'Fuck...you!'_

Loch stopped as soon as the order was given, the momentum of the sand crashing into Onix, burying the unprepared pokemon in his own attack.

"Now, finish him with that move you learned. Iron Tail!"

 _'Suck this!'_

Pikachu dashed towards the trapped Onix, helplessly thrashing to get out of the sand it once commanded. As it saw the Pikachu running towards it with the metallic sheen on his tail, it felt something it never did before: fear.

The sheer force of the attack, caused Onix to roar out in pain, amplified only more so when Loch's anger towards the pokemon caused it attack the Onix's horn, snapping it off. The sheer pain was easily enough to knock Onix out

Brock's mouth dropped. Never had he ever considered that such a feat was possible. A mere Pikachu, overpowering his Onix.

He numbly returned his Onix, before an angry expression emerged on his face.

"Well, someone's confident," he spat out, surprising the two with his demeanor change. "I'll suppose you'll forgive me for not holding back." He released his pokemon with none of the arrogance of before, only an ominous feeling.

Ash's confidence from before began draining away when he saw the pokemon in front of him. Its eyes glowed, and the Leer it gave froze up Loch.

"Pikachu, you doing okay?" asked a nervous Ash.

 _'Boss,'_ whimpered Loch. ' _You sure this is a beginner's gym battle?'_

"It's supposed to be..."

"Slash."

Before Ash or Loch could react, Loch gave out a shriek in pain as he was attacked, the Kabutops resuming a resting stance after striking. aAbit of blood dripped from Loch's front, indicating how a slight shift to the side and Loch would most certainly have not recovered. Loch fell over forward, unmoving.

"I forfeit Pikachu!" cried out Ash, running onto the field to catch his fallen partner. As he cradled Loch's quiet body, Brock gave a nod to the scythed pokemon, who raised an arm to strike. This went unnoticed by everyone except Ariana.

"Ash!" she cried out, but was unable to do anything. Before the attack landed on Ash, a pokeball on his belt burst and and Chrome intercepted the attack with his arm blade.

 _'You dare,'_ growled Chrome. _'To harm my ward?'_

The eyes of the Kabutops narrowed as it jumped backwards into a ready position.

Brock gave a surprised look when he saw Chrome, before his smirk came back. "Get off the field, kid. You were lucky that your pokemon blocked in time. We have a match to finish."

Ash hurried off the field, with Loch in his arms before bringing out the pokeball. "Loch...," he whispered. "I know you don't like this, but you have to get in. Otherwise..."

 _'Ash...'_ murmured Loch, barely conscious. _'You...promised...'_

Ash grimaced before going over to Ariana. "Please..." Ariana nodded her head before carrying Loch to the pokemon center.

Ash took a deep breath before all that fear was replaced with an emotion he hadn't felt before.

Anger.

Unknown to the others, his irises caught on a blueish hue, and he clenched his fists in anger.

 _'Chrome,'_ he said, catching the pokemon's attention. _'Forget about the challenge for now.'_ Chrome looked at Ash in surprise before nodding his head.

"Just because your pokemon is from another region, doesn't mean that you're good. Slash."

"Meet it with Night Slash."

"Aqua Jet into Fury Cutter, back to back."

"You know what to do."

The two pokemon carried out their orders as fluidly as possible. After Chrome stopped the Kabutops in its tracks, the Kabutops dashed behind him and began attacking. Chrome for his part, simply held his arms crossed over his chest as a bright light quickly accumulated.

Brock's eyes narrowed as he noticed the attack. "So that's the game you want to play, huh? End him now, Hyper Beam!"

"Release it."

Ash's voice held no emotion as he saw Chromw's attack overhwlem the Hyper Beam and slam the Kabutops into the wall.

Why should he show mercy? They didn't.

Once the attack finished, Kabutops was shown breathing deeply and heavily injured. Brock's eyes widened in horror as he heard the last command from Ash

"Guillotine."

A OHKO move. By cutting off the air supply to the target, the target was rendered unconscious. The only problem was when there was a massive power difference in which the uaer was much stronger or when the victim was heavily injured. In that case, it would be fatal.

And the Kabutops checked off both boxes.

"I forfeit!" called Brock, hastily returning his Kabutops. Chrome jumped back to Ash's side, stolid as always.

Brock looked at the cold teen, where meer munutes ago he was sarcastic and energetic.

Did he snap?

Shakibg his head, he returned Ash's outstretched hand with a glare on his face.

"By my authority under the Pokemon League, you're under arrest for attempted murder of a pokemon."


	6. AN chat group

**Whichever story gets this AN will be continued. Will probably take forever to update, but will still continue.**

I recently joined a discord group called 50 Shades of Nerd. It's a group where I and other writers basically chat about random stuff as well as things about our stories. If you have nothing better to do, come join us to see what madness that I and a couple other writers and fans deal with, and maybe even contribute in.

Join using the code **RPDHxDC** (stolen from nutsofthechest because I'm an idiot and don't know how discord codes work).

If this code doesn't work or expires, let me know, and I'll lurk in chestnut's stories for a new code. Or, by then I'll understand how codes work and I'll make an invite code of my own.


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